Container cleaning apparatus



Q Dec. 1, 1942. I A. 1. RISSER 2,304,050

CONTAINER CLEANING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 28, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 5&1.

INVENTOR ARTHUR R/SfiER CONTAINER CLEANING APPARATUS Fild Feb. 28, 1941s Sheets-Sheet s j I 0 I08 aaamm Patented Dec. 1, 1942 UNITED STTES remOFF E CONTAINER CLEANING;- APPARATUS Application February 28, 1941,Serial No. 381,038

4 Claims. (01. 15-14) This invention relates to container cleaningapparatus, and more particularly pertains to such apparatus designed toremove dust or other foreign matter from new bottles by circulatingtherethrough a fluid cleaning medium, such as air, while the bottles arebeing conveyed in a continuous succession.

One of the main objects of the inventionis to provide in connection withsuch apparatus the simplest and most effective means for collecting thedust or foreign matter that is being removed from the bottles to promotesanitation during the cleaning operation, and whereby the apparatus maybe maintained in a clean condition in preventing same from getting outof order.

It may be stated that this invention is an improvement on the rotarytype cleaning machine which constitutes the subject matter of mycopending application Ser. No. 344,326, filed July 8, 1940, now PatentNo. 2,280,424, wherein the bottles are received in an upright position,then inverted for a given period for the cleaning operation, and thendischarged from the machine in an upright position while moving in acontinuous succession.

Therefore, in order to provide the simplest means for removing dust fromthe bottles as they are cleaned, it is a further object to provide aunitary normally stationary suction cleaner head into cooperativerelation with which the bottles are brought during the cleaningoperation, and to provide the simplest possible dust conducting meansfor cooperating between each bottle and said suction cleaner means.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent by reference to thespecification and the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a vertical section of the machine as taken substantiallythrough the center thereof, with certain parts broken away.

Fig. 2 is a detail section taken substantially on the section line 22 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan section of the machine as takensubstantially on the section line 3-3 of Fig. l, but turned at rightangles to the position it would assume as viewed from said figure. I

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section of the machine as takensubstantially on the section line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a plan section of the machine as taken substantially on thesection line 5-5 of Fig. 1, but turned at right angles to the positionit would assume as viewed from said figure.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail of the lower portion of one of the bottlecarriers of the invention as seen in Fig. 1, with parts broken away andbrought together to reduce the size of the figure, and showing someparts in section and other parts in elevation.

Fig. 7 is another enlarged detail section, as

1-1 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail section of the valve structure seen in Fig.'7, and taken substantially on the section line 8-8 of Fig. '7, butshowing the valve in closed position.

The machine as illustrated includes a supporting frame I comprising abase 2, a top wall 3 supported on four uprights 4 on the base, a backwall 5 and opposite side walls 6 forming a housing having an open frontend.

The base is provided with a central bearing 1 in which is fixedlysecured a vertical shaft 8 upon which is rotatably mounted a supportingwheel 9 upon which are mounted for rotation a number of bottle carriers,lil equally spaced about the aXis of the wheel. Each carrier l0comprises a fiat block-like head through the center of which extends ahorizontal shaft l2 upon which the head is secured. The shafts 12 of thecarriers are arranged tangent to a circle concentric with the wheel 9and are mounted at the ends thereof for rotation in suitable bearings l4mounted respectively on the top ends of upright brackets l5 arrangedabout the axis of the wheel and mounted thereon between the paths of'rotation of the carriers about the axes of their shafts.

The flat sides 15 of each carrier head ID at opposite sides of its axisform bottle-supporting platforms above each of which is arranged abottle-holding head I! mounted on the carrier head for movement toraised and lowered positions out of and into cooperative relation withthe neck-end of a bottle on its respective platform to hold same in agiven position thereon. To this end, as best seen in Figs. 6 and '7,each head I! is mounted on the top portions of two laterally spacedsleeves l8 reciprocably mounted, respectively, on two uprights or rodsl9 mounted on each carrier head to extend from each platform thereofnear the inner edge of same when in position to support an uprightbottle.

Surrounding each rod I9 is a coiled compression spring 20 which isconfined under compression between a collar 21 on the top end of the rodand a collar 22 on the bottom-end of the'sleeve l8 thereon, whereby theheads 11 of the carriers will be resiliently urged into clampingengagement with the bottles supported on the platforms of the carriers.

The supporting wheel 9 is continuously rotated in a clockwise direction,as seen in plan, and as each carrier head is carried thereby about twothirds of a revolution about the axis of the wheel at the front of themachine, the carrier head is caused to dwell withits platforms inhorizontal position, and as the carrier is carried by the wheel theremaining one third of its revolution about its axis at the rear of themachine, the carrier is rotated one half of a revolution about itshorizontal axis to reverse the positions of the platforms thereof. Thusit will be seen that upon two complete revolutions of the wheel, theplatforms of each carrier Will be intermittently and alternatelyadvanced into an upwardly facing position at the front of the machinewhere they are brought into and out of cooperative relation with meansarranged to eject or discharge the cleaned bottles therefrom and thenfeed new bottles to be cleaned thereto.

As each carrier head is carried by the wheel around the front of themachine about a quarter of a revolution of the wheel from the station Ato the station B thereof, the holding head above the top platform of thecarrier head is caused o be in raised position so that a cleaned bottlemaybe discharged from the platform at the station A and a new'uprightbottle may be fed thereon at'the station B for the cleaning operation.

As each carrier head arrives at the station E itis brought intocooperative relation with means designed to place an upright bottle onthe upper platform thereof centrally below the holding head thereabove,which head is then lowered into clamping engagement with the neck of thebottle to holdsame on the platform as the carrier leaves said stationand while the bottle is inverted thereon at the back of the machine andthen returned to :the station A in upright position to be dischargedfrom the carrier by means later described.

The carriers are caused to dwell on the wheel 9 as-they travel aroundthe front of the machine by each carrier head having a pair of rollers23 arranged at opposite edges thereof adapted, respectively, to ride onthe under-sides of stationary inner and outer track structures 24 and 25arranged about the axis of the wheel. Each carrieris rotated a half turnas it travels around the rear of the machine by one of its rollers 23being caused to operate within the cam groove 26 of a helical cam 2'!cooperating between the leaving edge 28 of the inner track 24 and theleading edge29 of the outer track 25,

The means for raising the holding heads I! out of cooperative relationwith the platforms of the carriers when same are traveling around thefront of the machine from the station A to the .station B, is inclusiveof a cross-head 35 secured to the lower ends of each pair of sleeves l8of each carrier head. The cross-heads 35 are operated to raise theholding heads H with their sleeves l8 against the tension of the springs28. within the said sleeves by means of a roller 36 on'the inner-side ofeach cross-head having cooperative engagement with the cam formation 31on the top-sideof the inner track 24.

During the time each carrier head is traveling from the station A to thestation B, in front of the machine, the bottle supported on theunder-side or platform of the head in inverted position is incooperativerelation withmeans supported on the wheel9 for pneumaticallycleaning trally open valve-operating member 59.

the bottle. To this end, the cleaning means includes an upright cleanernozzle 38 arranged below each carrier head so as to be central with aninverted bottle thereon. Each nozzle is supported on a cross-head 39which is reciprocably mounted upon a pair of spaced vertical guide rods48 depending from a supporting head or block 4| mounted upon a ring-likegear 42 concentric With and secured to the periphery of the wheel 9.Each block 4! has a removable bearing 43 within which the nozzle on thecross-head therebelow is slidably supported. The rods 40 and nozzle 38of each block 46 extend through an opening of the gear 42 with thebottom ends of the rods being supported on a cross-piece 48 suitablymounted on the bottom ends of bracket portions 47 arranged about theperiphery of the wheel 9 and depending therefrom.

Each cross-head 39 is so operated that the nozzle thereon will be inlowered position when the carrier thereabove is being rotated about itsaxis at the rear of the machine, and whereby the nozzle will .be inraised position projecting into the inverted bottle on the carrier incleaning relation therewith as the carrier is traveling around the frontof the machine from the station A to the station B. For operating eachcross-head 39, each has a cam-engaging-roller 48 on the inner sidethereof adapted to have cooperative engagement with the upper camsurface 49 of a semi-circular cam 59 mounted on the base concentric withthe wheel 9.

When a nozzle is raised into an inverted bottle, a jet of air underpressure is released therefrom, whereby dust or other foreign matterwill be blown out of the bottle through the neck thereof. To this end,as seen in Figs. 1, 7 and 8, each cross-head 39 has a passage 5|connected with the lower end of its nozzle and having an uprightresilient inlet part 52. When a cross-head 39 is raised the inlet partthereof is brought into sealed communication with an air pressure pump53.. Generally, this is efiected through piping 54 leading from the pumpinto swiveling connection with a distributor head 55 arranged central-13! upon the wheel 9. From the distributor head the air under pressureis conducted through radially arranged pipes 58, each connecting with apassage 57 formed in the blocks 4| and having a depending outlet 58arranged centrally over the inlet of the cross-head therebelow. When across-head is raised the inlet part 52 thereof is brought into sealedconnection with the depending outlet thereabove through a cup-shapedcen- This member 59 is reciprocably mounted on said outlet to be raisedby engagement with the inlet and is arranged to open a gravitycontrolled ball valve 60 disposed in the outlet to control the flow ofair therefrom.

Generally, the bottle feeding and discharging means includes thefollowing: Arranged across the front of the machine is a table 78supporting the upper stretch of an endless conveyor 19 in the plane ofthe upper platforms of the carriers. The upper stretch of the conveyor.or belt, constantly moves from left to right, as seen in plan, and asthe bottles to be cleaned are placed thereon at the left hand side ofthe machine they are carried between suitable guides and 85 whichcooperate with a constantly rotating star wheel 88 to place the bottleson the carriers as they approach the station B. At the station A thecleaned bottles are returned to the belt by suitable suction pump I2l,

a constantly rotating star wheel 9I which coop erates with suitableguides 92 and 93. t

The star wheels are driven in timed relationwith the movement of thecarriers by being supported on upright shafts 94 and 95, respectively,mounted in suitable bearings and having thereon a gear 9'! meshing withthe gear @2 on the wheel 9. The wheel 9 is constantly rotated by anelec' diation of a speed reducer 99 whose driving shaft is connectedwith the lower end of the shaft 95 of the discharging star wheel.

In accordance with the invention, the bottle positioning heads H aredesigned to centralize the bottles and the nozzles with respect to eachother, and to conduct the dust from the bottles during the cleaningoperation. To this end, each head H has a narrow passageway It? formedtherein paralleling the platforms of its respective carrier head andthrough which the dust is conducted from a bottle. The wall I93 of thepassageway has a circular opening IIl i within which is detachablymounted a bottle-centering bell I535 forming the inlet to the passageand having a conical centering seat I96 for engaging the neckend of abottle to hold same in position on the carrier. In the wall I01 of thepassageway opposite the wall I93 is a guide opening Hi9 coaxial with thecentering bell and within which the cleaner nozzle associated therewithis snugly received and guided centrally into a bottle as the nozzle israised therein. To insure proper entry of the nozzle into the guideopening I98, said opening is provided with an outwardly flared centeringinlet IBM. The constricted opening I09 of the centering bell is formedto freely receive the nozzle to permit the dust to pass therethroughfrom the bottle into the passageway and be discharged from the outlet H9thereof during the cleaning operation. The outlet of each holding headis formed in an arcuate edge III of the head, with said edge arranged tobe concentric with the axis of the wheel 9 when the head is supportingan inverted bottle during the cleaning operation.

During the cleaning operation the dust discharged from the outlet IIE!of a holding head is drawn into dust collecting means through theintermediation of the elongated narrow suction inlet or nozzle II2 of asuction cleaner head H4. The said inlet of the cleaner head extendsarcuately about the axis of the wheel 9 so that the outlet III) of aholding head I! will remain in registration therewith during at leastthe major portion of the period of the cleaning operation.

The suction head is mounted for adjustment to raised and loweredpositions in accordance with the positions to which the holding headsmay be adjusted in handling various sizes of bottles. For this purpose,on opposite sides of the suction head are provided upright bearingformations H5 which are adjustably mounted upon upright guide rods II6secured on a bracket III suitably mounted on the frame of the machine.In each bearing formation is provided a suitable set screw Illa forholding the suction head in adjusted positions on the guide rods.

The suction head is connected with a source of suction by having adepending pipe section II8 slidabl received within a stationary uprightpipe section I I9 which continues into a horizontal pipe section I29connecting with the inlet of a Connected with the as a cloth bag.

The holding heads spective pairs of tubes I8 of the carirers for ad-:justment therealong in the handling of bottlesof various height. Forthis purpose, each holding head is made of two parts I23 and I24 betweenwhich the tubes are clamped within suitable bearing formations in theparts'by means of screws connecting same as seen in Figs. 3 and 7.

To prevent dust from escaping from the slight space that may existbetween the inlet of the 1 suction head and the outlet of one of theholding heads during the cleaning operation, the vacuum pump and thesuction pump may be of such capacity as to cause the air passing intothe inlet of the suction head to have a greater velocity than that ofthe air passing from the outlet of a holding head. To further create oramplify such a condition, the inlet of the suction head is made slightlynarrower than the outlets of the holding heads so that the vacuum pumpmay be of a minimum capacity.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a bottle cleaning machine, the combination with a supportrotatable about a vertical axis, an upright fluid-pressure cleanernozzle mounted on the support for vertical reciprocation and operable toraise and lower during a given portion of a cycle of rotation of thesupport, and a carrier rotatably mounted on the support operable tosuccessively present bottles in inverted position over the nozzle to beentered thereby as same is raised during successive cycles of rotationof the support to clean the bottles, of means for conducting away fromeach bottle foreign matter removed therefrom by the nozzle includingmeans carried by the carrier forming a passage portion with a guidingaperture in a wall thereof into and out of which the nozzle isreciprocated to be guided into the bottle.

2. In a bottle cleaning machine, the combination with a supportrotatable about a vertical axis, an upright fluid-pressure cleanernozzle mounted on the support for vertical reciprocation and operable toraise and lower during a given portion of a cycle of rotation of thesupport, and a carrier rotatably mounted on the support operable tosuccessively present bottles in inverted position over the nozzle to beentered thereby as same is raised during successive cycles of rotationof the support to clean the bottles, of means for conducting away fromeach bottle foreign matter removed therefrom by the nozzle including anormally stationary suc- I ed to register with the cleaner head inletduring said portion of movement of the support and having a guidingaperture in a wall thereof into and out of which the nozzle isreciprocated to be guided into the bottle.

3. In a bottle cleaning machine, the combination with a rotatingsupport, a fluid pressure cleaner device mounted on the support operableduring a given portion of a cycle of rotation of the support, and acarrier rotatably mounted on the support operable to successivelypresent a number of bottles in cooperative relation with the device tobe cleaned thereby during successive cycles of rotation of the support,of means for conducting away from each bottle foreign matter removedtherefrom by the device including a outlet of the pump is a dustcollector I22, such are mounted on their renormally stationar suctioncleaner head having an elongated narrow arcuate inlet concentric withthe axis of the support and a member carried by the carrier having apassage with an elongated narrow arcuate outlet adapted to register withsaid suction head inlet during said portion of rotation of the supportsaid suction head inlet being longer and narrower than the outlet of themember to prevent the foreign matter from escaping from the exposed oropen portions of the inlet while in register with the said outlet of themember.

4. In a bottle cleaning; machine, the combination with a rotatingsupport, a number of fluid pressure cleaner devices arranged about theaxis of the support and mounted thereon to be operable successivelyduring a given portion of a cycle of rotation of the support, and anumber of carriers rotatably mounted on the support each operable tosuccessively present a number of bottles in cooperative relation with adevice to be cleaned thereby as,- same isoperated during successivecycles of rotation of the support, to.

bers on each carrier for holding the bottles thereon each having apassage with an elongated nar row arcuate outlet adapted to registerwithsaid suction head inlet when the bottle held thereby is incooperative relation with the device, said suction head inlet being of alength whereby the outlets of two members of two carriers respectivelywill simultaneously register therewith and.be-- ing narrower than theoutlets to prevent theforeign matter from escaping from the. exposed.

or open portion of the inlet between the outlets of the members while inregister therewith.

ARTHUR I. RISSER.

